Fast Retailing Co., Ltd. (株式会社ファーストリテイリング, Kabushiki Kaisha Fāsuto Riteiringu) is a public Japanese multinational retail holding company.[3]

Fast Retailing Co., Ltd.
Native name
株式会社ファーストリテイリング
Company typePublic
TYO: 9983
SEHK6288
TOPIX Large 70 Component
IndustryRetail
Founded
  • As Men’s Shop Ogori Shoji March 1949; 75 years ago (1949-03)
  • As Fast Retailing September 1991; 33 years ago (1991-09)
FounderHitoshi Yanai
Headquarters,
Japan
Area served
Worldwide
Key people

Shimpei Otani (CTO)
Makoto Hoketsu (CIO)
ProductsClothing, accessories
RevenueIncrease ¥2,130 billion (FY2018)[1]
Increase ¥236 billion (FY2018)[1]
Increase ¥1,050 billion (FY2018)[1]
Total assetsIncrease ¥1,953 billion (FY2018)[1]
Number of employees
52,839 (2018)[2]
Subsidiaries
Websitewww.fastretailing.com/eng

In addition to its primary subsidiary Uniqlo, it owns several other brands, including J Brand, Comptoir des Cotonniers, GU, Princesse Tam-Tam, and Theory.

History

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The company was founded as Men's Shop Ogori Shoji in 1949, and formally incorporated as Ogōri Shōji Co., Ltd. in 1963 by Hitoshi Yanai.[4]

In 1984, the company, which ran a menswear store in Ube, Yamaguchi, opened a new casual-wear store named Unique Clothing Warehouse in Hiroshima City; this was the forebear of Uniqlo.[5]

In September 1991, Ogori Shoji changed its name to Fast Retailing Co., Ltd., and was listed on the Hiroshima Stock Exchange in July 1994.[5]

In February 1999, it was listed on the first section (large companies) of the Tokyo Stock Exchange.[5]

The company also owns the American brand Theory; Fast Retailing acquired "an equity stake in Link Theory Holdings Co Ltd, the marketer of the Theory and Helmut Lang apparel brands, in 2004".[6] It acquired the rest of the company in 2009.

In 2007, it unsuccessfully offered a bid of US$900 million for Barneys New York department store to the Jones Apparel Group.

In 2012, the company purchased an 80% stake of premium denim company J Brand for US$290 million and US$10 million in advisory legal fees.[7]

Senior leadership

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Chairman

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  1. Hitoshi Yanai (1963–1984)
  2. Tadashi Yanai (1984–present)[8]
  1. Hitoshi Yanai (1963–1984)
  2. Tadashi Yanai (1984–present)[8]

President

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  1. Hitoshi Yanai (1963–1984)
  2. Tadashi Yanai (1984–2002)[8]
  3. Tadashi Yanai (2005–present); second term[8]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Fast Retailing Results for Fiscal 2018 and Estimates for Fiscal 2019 (4,390KB)" (PDF). Fast Retailing Co., Ltd. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  2. ^ "Overview | FAST RETAILING CO., LTD". Fast Retailing Co., Ltd. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  3. ^ Nagata, Kazuaki (2009-11-17). "Choice, chic, cheap — no one feels fleeced". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2024-08-12.
  4. ^ "How Japan's Uniqlo is defying recession". BBC. 2009-04-09. Retrieved 2024-08-12.
  5. ^ a b c Uniqlo Syndrome. Toyo Keizai Shinpo Sha. ISBN 4-492-76191-8 Tenkai Japan. ASIN: B004PYDPOK.
  6. ^ "Fast Retailing Co Ltd". Archived from the original on February 15, 2016.
  7. ^ Li, Shan. "Fast Retailing buys majority stake in L.A. denim line J Brand". LA Times.
  8. ^ a b c d "The man who clothes Asia: Uniqlo chief Tadashi Yanai". Financial Times. 23 October 2020.
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